Credits

Game Design
Mayara Barros (@MayFPBarros)
Igor B. Batista (@LeonSama)

Cover Design
Mayara Barros

Cover Art
Canva App
Artbreeder

Naive Star Logo
Ren Oliveira (@nyphren)

Originally published in 2019

You are immortal. Being able to freely move through space, you’ve left your home as soon as you were of age, just like the rest of your kind. In your travels, you met new people and new places. It shaped who you are, and even when the path was fraught with hardship, you had the will to keep going.

But after all this time, you miss your home.

Maybe it’s okay to go back.

Introduction

A cozy game about rediscovering the past.

Saudade is a map-making, storytelling game to be played solo or with friends. It is about finding value in a past altered by time and exploring how the changes affect you and your relationship to what is no longer there.

In Portuguese, the word Saudade describes a feeling of deep longing for something. It is to miss intensely, and it is more often than not a positive feeling: the certainty that what is no longer here will always be with us.

That is what we wanted to explore with this game: The nostalgia of reminiscing about things as they were in the past, the grief of having lost something, and the hope of a future to be built with these feelings.

Your character is always safe, their needs are met and the world they will explore poses no danger. The emotional hurdles are the focus and the core of Saudade. That doesn’t mean you need to do what is laid out here, you’re the one telling the story and, as long as everyone in the table is on board, the only rule is to have fun.

Setting Up

The game can be played solo or in a group of up to 6 players.

For the first and second Acts of the story, you will draw a hand of 3 cards, those cards will represent events that can happen, the different things you can find, or memories that you carry.

On each turn, play a card and resolve it by drawing any relevant marks on the map and either describing or writing down what happened.

If there are 2 or more players, each plays and resolves a card before moving on to the next turn.

The game ends when all players finish the Third Act.

Preparation

You will need something to write on, something to write with and a deck of playing cards for this game (virtual or otherwise).

Shuffle your deck with the Jokers.

If you’re playing with friends, decide if you all come from the same culture or not and how they relate to each other.

Arrival

As you arrive in your home, you take in the sights from up above. Take turns answering the questions below, they will help you shape the first impressions your character has of the new old world they have returned to (remember to write down your answers).

What do you see? Mark on the map a geographical feature that can be used as a point of reference by the character(s) and talk about what it reminds you of or what it makes you think about.

What do you remember? Mark on the map something from the character(s) past that is still standing and tell a story that relates to what you see.

What do you hope to find? Mark on the map something you don’t recognize and talk about what kind of being you imagine can inhabit that place or its surroundings.

When you finish, decide where your characters will land individually or as a group. Use the answers of the questions above to set up story threads for you to follow if you so choose. Feel free to come up with more questions to answer if you think your game needs more extensive set up.

Optional Rule - Building Relationships:

If you’re stuck on how to make your character relate to the other characters, here are a few questions to kickstart your relationships:

When we met, what did we argue about?

What did I do to make you trust me?

We used to be childhood friends, but went on our separate journeys. How did we reconnect?

You don’t have to ask every question to every character, only one can be enough. You can also ask different questions to different characters.

Playing the Game

Act 1 - Landing

Now it is time to explore your surroundings, finding things that have changed and things that have stayed the same. At each step, remember to consider how your character reacts to what they are discovering. What emotions do they feel? If you’re playing with friends, feel free to roleplay how the group reacts and what they talk about.

Draw 3 cards.

Each turn, choose a card from your hand and resolve it as per the table below:

Joker | Something important to you has been transformed in some way. Mark it on the map and describe or write how you react.
Ace | Your childhood home is still standing. Mark it on the map. What do you find there?
King | An elder of your kind still lives on the planet. Mark their house on the map.
Queen | Someone important to you used to live in this house, but they are long gone. Mark the house on the map.
Jack | Children of a new generation play in a nearby forest. Mark the forest on the map.
10, 3 | You found something of value. Mark the place where it was on the map. What is it? Why is it valuable?
9, 4 | New weather phenomenon is happening. Mark on the map the shelter you either found or built.
8, 5 | A sacred place for your people is still standing. Mark it on the map.
7, 6 | Something you thought long lost has made its way back to you. Mark on the map where it happened. Describe what it was and how it affects you.
2 | A new sentient species has made this their home. Mark on the map where they live. How do you interact with them?

When all players have played all of their cards or you’re satisfied with what you have, move on to Act 2.

Optional Rule - Another Round

If you want to play another round on Act 1, every player draws 1 more card and resolves it. Your only limit to how many times you can do this is that you need enough cards left on the deck for every player to still be able to play in the next Act. An exploding nebula, in space. It's surrounded by stars and exibits the following colors: red, blue and white.

Act 2 - Settling In

Even if you plan on leaving again, it’s time to leave your mark upon this new old world. You can improve on something that is already there, or start something completely new, regardless, your actions will shape the experiences of others to come.

Draw 3 more cards.

For the first card you play, choose to either Improve or Build Something.

Improve Something | Change one mark that already exists on the map. Declare what you will change and what it will become.
Build Something | Add one mark to the map. Declare what you will build.

The value of the card indicates how many months your character takes to finish the project. The Joker means you get to choose the timespan of the project.

For the second card, choose to introduce either a Drawback or a Boon to your project or help with another player’s project. A Drawback delays the project by the value of the card in months, while a Boon speeds it up. By helping another player, you are giving them a Boon.

For the third card, witness the Impact your project had on the local community. The value of the card indicates the area of effect (in the unit of measurement of your preference) of your project. The impact can be whatever best fits the story you are telling, but it is always positive. The Joker means you choose the area of effect.

When all players have played all of their cards, move on to Act 3.

Act 3 - Send off

A new generation is coming of age, getting ready for their journey. You have to decide what to do from now on. Take turns answering the following questions:

Do you get involved with the preparations for the coming of age festivities? Mark on the map where they happen.

Do you stay on the planet once the festivities are done? Either mark on the map where you’ll live from now on or where you depart from.

The End

Now that the story is over, look at the beautiful map you made. If you’ve taken notes, know that you can make whatever you want with the story you’ve created, it is yours.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this game and welcome you to check out our other games at Itch.io or check out our Patreon for news and early access. All support is deeply appreciated.